Review: IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT by Kersten Hamilton

IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT: The Goblin Wars, Book 2

Official blurb:

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

                                                                                                                                               

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

TYGER TYGER (the first book in The Goblin Wars series) was one of my favorite novels in 2010. I was terribly excited when I received an ARC of IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT--and a bit worried. Frankly, I’ve read a number of second books this year which were letdowns and I was hoping it wouldn’t be the case with this one.

Though IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT is slightly different than TYGER TYGER, it was definitely not a disappointment.

Rather than being trapped in the doldrums of reiterating book one, like happened in the other second books I read,  IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT dove right into the action—or more correctly into a house crammed with fun characters and their interrelationships. The back story from TYGER TYGER was revealed, but at a rate and manner which didn’t distracted from the ongoing story.  And the writing was as excellent as in the first novel.

Everyone from TYGER TYGER returned in this book, and their dilemmas wove in and out of the main plot. Teagan and Finn’s romance blossomed with realistic sizzle, trepidation and humor. Here and there, I feared I might get lost in the pandemonium and huge cast of characters--but I never did. Kerstin Hamilton’s ability to create individualized characters and juggle a host of subplots is amazing.  

The second half of the story moves way from the larger familiar cast and sends Teagen on a fantastic mission, featuring the same awesome blend of Irish Traveler traditions, Christianity and Celtic myth as TYGER TYGER.  Very cool, fast paced, scary and fun.

Oh, and the end--it was perhaps my favorite part of the whole novel. It was totally exciting and satisfying, and at the same time it opened up the story’s world with an unexpected twist. If I’d had book three, I’d have started reading it as soon as I closed IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT.

Bravo to Kersten for a great continuation of The Goblin Wars series!

IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT comes out November 22, 2011. Order it now at your hometown bookstore. Or here’s a link to Amazon if you want to take the easy route. http://www.amazon.com/Forests-Night-Goblin-Wars-Book/dp/0547435606.

 I do recommend ordering and reading TYGER TYGER in preparation for this story.

AND--as if having a wonderful series to read isn’t enough--Kersten Hamilton is hosting a contest for the chance to win $1,000 dollars for your favorite library, live Skytype visits and more! http://home.comcast.net/~kerstenhamilton/Trailer/IFN_trailer.html

ALSO, I’ll be posting an interview with Kersten in the near future. Be sure to stop by, check it out and leave questions for Kersten.  By the way, I’m taking a class in crafting sexual tension and I plan on quizzing Kersten about how she achieves such wonderful romantic sizzle in a story packed with characters and action.

AND if you’d like to know more about TYGER TYGER here’s my review http://patesden.livejournal.com/74481.html?thread=418033

Review: The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Rebecca Guay

I’m excited to have the honor of posting the first review on Cabinet of Curiosity. First, let me introduce myself. I’m Pat Esden. I’ve had short stories published in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, George Scithers Cat Tales (Wildside Press), Challenging Destiny and Mythic Circle .  I’ve completed several young adult manuscripts and am currently seeking representation. But enough about me, let’s get on to the review.

Graphic novel review: THE LAST DRAGON written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Rebecca Guay. Published by Dark Horse Comics

Blurb:

Master storyteller Jane Yolen (Owl Moon, Sword of the Rightful King) and celebrated fantasy artist Rebecca Guay (Swamp Thing, Magic: The Gathering) weave a textured and lyrical tale of adventure, homelands, and heroism the hard way.

Two hundred years ago, humans drove the dragons from the islands of May. Now, the last of the dragons rises to wreak havoc anew-with only a healer's daughter and a kite-flying would-be hero standing in its way.

MY THOUGHTS:

I requested an ARC of THE LAST DRAGON through NetGalley because of the author’s reputation and the cover illustration. I was hoping for a great dragon story with the feel of a traditional myth, but with new twists—and for illustrations which had a classic beauty.

I was not disappointed.

The story began with sepia toned art work and pages framed in a battered-brown. This combination created the appearance of an ancient book. It was so well done that, at one point, I thought if  I touched my computer screen I’d feel worn leather (much like the ancient books which are mentioned in the story). As I read on, I didn’t notice when the ancient-look gave way to a more conventional comic book form. What I did realize was that the illustrations varied from textured and beautifully detailed to more simplistic, in a rhythm which seamlessly matched the needs of the story.  Overall the illustrations were wonderful. They had an oriental flair and at the same time were reminiscent of the Golden Age of illustrations.

The written story was equally as wonderful. At first, some of the characters seemed like standard fairytale creations. But they didn’t always do what I expected or wanted them to do—which provided tension and made me read THE LAST DRAGON in one sitting.

The world building was extensive and never interfered with the story. Secondary characters and plot threads worked well and expanded the story to a point where I felt like I was experiencing an epic instead of a single graphic novel. There was humor and action, romance and adventure . . . Okay, it was just plain great. I recommend THE LAST DRAGON for anyone who loves fantasy, whether you’re a graphic novel fan or not. In fact, I’m planning on ordering copies as gifts for people who are not fantasy fans, but are art lovers. I’m quite sure they’ll love everything about it.

Publication date: September 21, 2011

Pre-Order Last Dragon (Hardcover) Now @ TFAW.com

If you’d like to  see examples of  Rebecca Guay’s stunning art work check out her website: http://www.rebeccaguay.com/

And here’ s a link to Jane Yolen’s website which has tons of information about how her stories can be used for teaching and interviews about writing for children and more: http://janeyolen.com/

Here’s a link to Dark Horse Comics if you’d like to check out their other comics and graphic novels : http://www.darkhorse.com/